| OCR Text |
Show The Salt Lake Tribune ARTS Sunday, October 8, 1995 _ He Answers Occasional Casting Calls, CITYVIEW - _ But the Guitar Is Parkening’s Passion By Lance S. Gudmundsen THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE Longbeforehe picked up a guitar, 6-year-old Christopher Parkening was practicing fiy-casting on the back lawn of his parents’ home in suburban West Los Angeles. He discovered the guitar at age 11 Parkening went on to become arguably the premier contemporary Americanclassical guitarist —and a world-class fly fish as well. The 47-year-old musician returns to Utah this week for appearances with the Utah Symphony: Thursday night at Abravanel Hail in Salt Lake City and Friday ight at WeberState University in Ogden. He is soloist in Vivaldi’s Lute Concerto, transcribed for guitar, and Joaquin Rodrigo’s “Concierto de Aranjuez.” Parkening played JACK GOODMAN Avenues Home Has Links With Germany If you areintrigued bythe style and appearanceof an elderly Salt Lake-area building, your research concerningits history often turns up information about the structure linkingit, its builders or its owners to other regions of our nation — or even to lands and events in very different parts of the world. Very intriguing timesas well. intriguing. As some Utahns mayrecall, a serious influenza epidemic took place in the late years of World WarI, an epidemic that cost thousandsoflives in Europe, the United States and elsewhere around the world. During that “war to end war,” many German prisoners were held under guardatFt. Douglas. Jack Goodman William Francis Beer, the first ownerof this house on Street, received the Iron Cross for his treatment of German prisoners. days believe Hindenburg, as president, made everyeffort to prevent Adolf Hitler from becoming the nation’s chancellor. They indicate the major militaryvillain of the hectic 1930s was General Erich Ludendorff, who had been Field Marshal von Hindenburg’'s second in command during the horrendouswarfarein East Prussia, Russia, France and Belgium. Ludendorff was an avowed Nazi — but Hindenburg was virtually on his deathbed before he would nameHitler Reich chancellor. In any event, Hindenburg was re- sponsible for the prestigious Iron Cross presented to Salt Lake's Beer in recognition of his treatment of the Germancaptives. Richard Kletting, architect for the Beer house, likewise had a German connection, having been Their presence at the born (1858) in Unterborhingen in fort was worrisome to Utah health authorities, especially so since the influenza epidemic was believed to have started among troops in Europe. And the physician in charge of medicalcare for the German POWswasB Street's William Francis Beer. Somehowhe managedto bring the fort’s German war prisoners through the influenza epidemic with zero fatalities. As a result, he became the sole Utah physician to be awarded that high German decoration — the Iron Cross, What's more, the award came from Germany's president, no less a figure than Paul von Hindenburg (1847-1934). Award of the Iron Cross to Beer cameshortly after Hindenburg, who commanded the German army during that first World War, became president of the Reich in 1925. If you are a studentof world history whorecalls Germany's travail in Wurttenburg, and having served in the armyofhis native land for a year before emigrating. He drew the plans for the Utah State Capitol, the old Saltair pavilion, the old Salt Palace (actually made of salt-covered wooden segments) and a host of local commercial buildings His homefor Beer has a wealth of decorative elements notvisible those postwar years, you may not have favorable notions concerning the heavy-set Hindenburg. Authoritative historians nowa- Classical guitarist Christopher Parkening is soloing with the Utah Symphonyat two concerts this week: Thursday at Abravane) Hall, 123 W. South Temple,at 8 p.m., where tickets range from $12-$22; and Friday at the Browning Center on the Ogden also campus of Weber State University at 7:30 p.m. Parkening will make an in-store appearance Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Blockbuster Music, 2107 S. 700 East, Salt Lake City. For concert in tickets call 533-NOTE in Salt Lake City or (801) 399-9214 Ogden. his music at Royal Festival Hall The next morning, he met with Parkening at Abbey RoadStudios before recording sessions with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Rodrigo corrected ‘‘some wrong notes” that had crept into the 1939 guitar and orchestral scores of “Concierto de Aranjuez.”” : Thehighlight of the encounter both duringhis first gig with the For a case in point, there’s the house at 181 B St. in today’s sketch. The initial owner who had it built in 1898-99 was William Francis Beer (1870-1949), a prominent Salt Lake City physician. A graduate of George Washington Medical Schoolanda charter member and honorary president of the Utah Medical Society, he had the good taste, and the funds, to employRichard K.A. Kletting as architect for this 26room, four-level homeof precisely laid red brick upon a foundation of heavy sandstone blocks. The house stands high above steep slanted B Street, looking down upon muchof the city. But it is Dr. Beer's role in history thatis @ At Abravanel Hall, Weber State in the sketch, including filigree chimney supports, downspouts decorated in barber-pole style and multiple roof dormers. The building still boasts a dozen sizable panes of colored, etched or leaded glass, and Kletting’s sketches show another 10 or a dozen such intriguing panesin the original plans. Utah State Historical Society records stemming from the original architect's drawings indicate much early woodwork has vanished, but fortunately much still remains. In addition, those records indicate 181 B St. was the major unit of four structures in the physician’s original estate. These included a small workshopin the rear, a sizable carriage house at 222-4th Ave.that could shelter nine draft and/or riding horses, and a “small house” at 222-4th Ave. As for Beer and the references to his Iron Cross award from Paul von Hindenburg — this columnist can only hope the skimpy sources used are accurate. In two previous columns concerning Spring City, yours truly was guilty of a half-dozen errors, stemming in part from hasty interviews with residents, but eve more so from laziness induced by days of sunshine that lead to pleasantstrolls around SpringCity. Toolittle real research. Kaye C. Watson writes that the local ‘Rafter Check Gas & Goodies” station sells gasoline. The Spring City population reached 1,250 in the 1910 census. Artist Max Blain’s name was misspelled. And shopkeepers John Baxter and Robert Blain were called the ‘Gold Dust Twins’ because, according to a later store owner, Arlea Hope Howell, they were the only merchants in town who accepted gold dust in payment for merchandise. Watsonatfirst mistakenly believed their nickname came from the fact “everything they got involved with made them. dollars.” Shucks. 1 was hoping they were called the Gold Dust Twins becauseof items boxed and sold nationally (even in New York) that had a drawing of the Gold Dust Twins on their cardboard carton. The only other commercialtwins I recall as a youth were Ray and Bestos. This radio pair sang a catchy tune about Raybestos brake service. With their voices, they each should have beengiven a rusty iron cross. Jack Goodman has been associated with The Salt Lake Tribune asa staff or free-lance writer for 48 years. came when Parkening asked Ro- orchestra in early 1989. Under associate conductor Robert Henderson,the orchestra also will perform Ives’ ‘‘The Unanswered Question,” Haydn's Symphony No. 83 in G (‘The Hen”), and Ibert’s ‘Divertissement,” The connection between fishing lines and guitarstrings cameup in a relaxed telephone chatwith the affable Parkening from his home in Burbank. Virtuosity in fishing and musicmaking requires ‘‘a great amount of discipline and perseverance.” Parkening said he tells students “to pursue a commitment to per- sonal excellence — and let the success fall where it may.” At 21, Parkening won the western United States casting champiwnship in 1968, one yearafterhis father captured the sametitle. The guitarist also won first prize at the 1987 International Gold Cup Tarpon Tournament in Florida. He compared the pressure of casting to a 180-pound fish with striding onto a concert stage before thousands of people. “You learn how to focus.” Parkening is no stranger to pressure — and acknowledgesits dangers. At 26, he experienced a professional burnout of sorts. “I was playing 90 concerts a year ... all the traveling, the hotel rooms and one city after another.” So he quit as head of the Uni- ws : Christopher Parkening versity of Southern California guitar department — whichheliterally had foundedin thelate '60s —andtook a four-year“intermission” from concert halls and recording studios. Parkening described the hiatus to his trout-fishing ranch near Bozeman, Mont., as a turning point. He was surroundedby “‘everything I ever thought would make me happy.. yet I felt empty inside.” He becameanunabashedly “Bible-believing Christian’? and emerged from the Big Sky wilderness with the goalof using his musical gifts solely “for the glory of God.” The guitarist — who, like his teacher and friend, the late Andres Segovia, practices five hours a day — obviously delights in recounting a 1992 encounter with composer Rodrigo in London. Aspartof his 90th-birihdaycelebration, the blind Spanish composer attended performances of drigo to show him the “mood and tempo”of the concerto’s haunting Adagio whenthe guitarist’s harplike tones embellish the English horn. “His daughter led him to thepiano,” Parkening recalled, “and placed his left hand on the keys. The guitarist gained newinsights into performing the vastly popular concerto. The album's cover shows Parkening and Rodrigo on the stage of Royal Festival Hall, accepting accolades of 5,500 people. The guitarist compared the experienceto ‘a pianist having Rachmaninoff, or Liszt, or Chopin” sharing the same footlights. Parkening still maintains a brisk concert and recital schedule — between 60 and 70 a year. He soon will team again with lyric soprano Kathleen Battle for an album of Christmas music. with a target release date of about ayear. They collaborated in “The Pleasures of Their Company,” which earned a 1987 Grammy nomination. It has been more than two decades since publication of The Christopher Parkening Guitar Method, Volume I. And the question he has been fielding since 1973, he admitted, is: ‘When is VolumeII coming out?” “It’s all set to go,” he said with a laugh. The remaining hurdle is paring the list of five publishers. And, no, he added, “therewill not be a Volume III.” Tuacahn Center Will Present Mormon Arts Festival on May 8-11 The Tuacahn Center for the Arts will presentits first Mormon Arts Festival May 8-11 at the facility in Ivins. The purpose of the eventis to showcase worksin drama, dance, music andvisual art by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Call for entries are deadlines are as follows: Drama: a full-length, nonmusical drama or comedy that has not been previously produced, Each entry mustincludea signed state- mentthat workis original. Deadline is Oct. 15. Danee: Work must be submitted from existing dance troupes whowill be able to participate in the festival. Entries must include a résumé and video recording, prior choreographic work or work to be performed, notto exceed 30 minutes. Deadline is Oct 30. Music: New, published or recorded work accepted. Entries mustinclude sheet music and cas- sette recording of work and signed statement stating work is original, Deadline is Nov. 30. Visual Art; Each entry must include a slide of the work and a signed statement that the work is original and has not been published nor received any awards. Entry deadlineis Jan. 15. Send submissions to Robert Paxton, director, Mormon Arts Festival at Tuacahn, 1100 Tuacahn Drive, Ivins, UT 84738. = GET READY FOR THE HOLIDAYS WITH OUR STOREWIDE a SpecialCe Order Sale Special Order Now Through October 21st Other Dining Sets From "499 ¥ A Py { i The world's best classical guitarist No riffs, am ps, or watts. | Receive this freegift when you register at ZCMI Nowthat you're engaged, you have a Jot of planning ahead Your next stop should be ZCMI's Wedding Registry We havethe perfect items to Christopher Parkening is considered by many to be the finest arist in the world. On Thursday, October 12, find out why when he joins Robert Henderson and member he Utah Symphony for an evening of Ives, Vivaldi, Haydn, Rodrigo, and Ibert. For more information and to order tickets, call the Utah Symphony Box Office at 533-NOTE UTAH SY MPHONY eet to home neces: | define any lifestyle, from gifts And now when you re you'll receiveafree V Nedding Planner and How To” book in abeautiful folder | the ZCMI Wedding Registry toll-free number 1-800-45 GIFT(44 (7C- MII . “Quality You Can Afford WICKER &WILLOW THE OnLy Fut Lint RATTAN & WICKER FURNITURE STORE IN THE INTERMOUNTAIN WEST » 2908 South Highiand Brive FURNITURE ROW OPEN MOW.-SAT./ 10-6 486-9307 FINANCING AVAILABLE |
